Mike Bailey

[Dylan Waco]

Discuss Here.

[Phil Schneider]

Obviously a guy who had his US career derailed by immigration issues, and his style isn't really my thing, but for a guy who does that kind of highspot heavy style, he is damn good at it, and seems to be a guy who is getting a bunch of opportunities now that he has his Visa. I wrote up his ACH match for the Ringer last week and for car crash wrestling it was about as good as it gets.

https://www.theringer.com/2022/2/14/22933102/hangman-page-lance-archer-creed-brothers-grizzled-young-veterans-speedball-bailey-ach-best-matches

 

[BohsJohnny]

I saw a lot of him on the European indies during his US ban and he never disappointed. Had really good matches against 16 year old trainees with half a dozen matches and dream ones against people like PAC and everything in between. Glad to see him getting the plaudits he deserves now and hopefully it continues. 

[El-P]

I wonder why he doesn't go by his real name. I mean, Émile Charles Baillargeon-Laberge, easy for you English-speaking folks to say. 

Just discovered him in IMPACT. He's surely one of a kind (in a very RVD way in that he looks unique). Very interesting guy to watch.

[HeadCheese]

Mike Bailey is proabably making my list but, I'm not sure where. I have been follow their career off and on since 2013. There is a charm from from his pre-US ban as one of the best fighting from underneath and big movez match wrestlers in the world (specifically the Biff Buisick matches and Kevin Steen match in C4). The outside the US stuff is really good too with some great matches (primarily in DDT).

I think despite having still having great matches (some favorite match of the year contenders) when returning to the indies specifically 2022 picked some annoying quirks becoming to clean with moves, formulaic in annoying ways (having constant leg work matches and having selective selling). I think that also might be case of him being overexposed and decided to stick to doing a touring match.

I don't really follow TNA well but, he had two of my favorite matches in that promotion in this decade probably with the Josh Alexander match and Angels vs. Delirious vs. KUSHIDA vs. Mike Bailey vs. Mike Jackson vs. Yuya Uemura.

One of the biggest points for Mike Bailey on my list is their perfomance in BOLA 2023. For context I have live bias. It was my first time going to a BOLA and it's the live wrestling show I have ever been too. Mike Bailey's perfomance in that is amazing.
They also have impressive range as a tag team wrestler (Ninjas With Altitude, Moonlight Express, the team with Jake Something, the Kevin Knight partnership, and with Dick Togo vs.  Daisuke Sasaki & Tetsuya Endo at Peter Pan 2016).

Also showed they can be be good in charming and avant garde roles. Specifically in the campsite match, vs. Yoshihiko, Friday Night Speedball, vs. Mad Kurt, and more.

Mike Bailey is having a run right noe were they are one of the highlights character and wrestling wise during a hot period. 

I might also check out more of his C4, IWS, and PWG work and he might even go higher.

Mike Bailey makes me smile and they have canonically Shrek inspired gear.

 

Here's some Mike Bailey match recs

5/3/14 Kevin Steen vs. Mike Bailey (C4 The Warriors)

6/21/14 Biff Busick vs. Mike Bailey (C4 Crossing The Line 7)

3/20/17 Mike Bailey vs. Shigehiro Irie (DDT Judgement)

5/14/17 Kyle O'Reilly vs. Mike Bailey (WCPW World Cup:Canada)

4/21/19 Kurtis Chapman vs. Shrek (Mike Bailey) (Good Wrestling #17: Be Average To Each Other)

9/11/21 Artemis Spencer vs. Mike Bailey (NEW 1 (Evening Show))

8/21/22 Leon Slater vs. Mike Bailey (RevPro Ten Year Anniversary - Tag 2)

5/19/22 Lee Moriarty vs. Mike Bailey (Enjoy Wrestling S5E3 Renegade (Taped 4/9) )

1/8/23 Mike Bailey at PWG BOLA Stage 2

1/8/23 Angels vs. Delirious vs. KUSHIDA vs. Mike Bailey vs. Mike Jackson vs. Yuya Uemura (Impact Wrestling Countdown To Hard To Kill)

3/10/23 Blindfold Match ANDREW vs, Bob Anger vs. Mike Bailey

3/19/23 Masha Slamovich vs. Mike Bailey (GCW Worst Behavior)

9/15/24 Jake Something vs. Labron Kazone vs. Luke Jacobs vs. Mike Bailey (DPW Carolina Classic)

4/6/25 Ricochet vs. Kenny Omega vs. Mike Bailey (AEW Dynasty)

4/30/25 Kenny Omega, Kevin Knight, Mark Briscoe, and Mike Bailey vs. The Elite (Kazuchika Okada, Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) and Ricochet (AEW Dynamite)